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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 12 Jun 2019
Inequality and Social Mobility

"The Secretary of State is being generous in giving way. Does she agree that, if the Government are sincere in wanting to accelerate progress in reducing poverty, it would be madness to advocate a tax priority of cutting income tax for those earning more than £50,000 a year? She must …..."
Lord Walney - View Speech

View all Lord Walney (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Inequality and Social Mobility
Written Question
Employment and Support Allowance
Thursday 28th February 2019

Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work on 25 February 2019, Official Report, from which areas of departmental work the 1,200 staff assigned to correct employment and support allowance underpayments are being transferred.

Answered by Sarah Newton

In 2018/19, across the Department, we increased our resources by 4,209 FTE to manage all demands including LEAP exercises. We have not stopped any priority work to carry out the ESA underpayments exercise.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 25 Feb 2019
Employment and Support Allowance: Underpayments

"The Minister is sorry and says lessons are being learnt, but where is the sense of accountability for this terrible error, which has had such a profound effect on many thousands of people’s lives? Where are the extra staff and resource coming from to sort out this problem? Which areas …..."
Lord Walney - View Speech

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Written Question
Post Office Card Account
Tuesday 19th February 2019

Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the advice provided by (a) the Post Office and (b) government agencies to holders of the Post Office Card Account on their options to transfer payments to other sources, including any changes to that advice in the last five years.

Answered by Guy Opperman

The Post Office has not issued any advice, written or otherwise, to Post Office card account users over the past five years regarding options to transfer onto alternative products.

The DWP has written to customers who use the Post Office card accounts to encourage them to receive payment into a mainstream account. This is part of our policy of reducing reliance on payment exception services and promoting financial inclusion through the use of mainstream accounts. Mainstream accounts offer more features and reduce the cost to the taxpayer. One of the key messages we highlight, is that 99% of banks’ personal accounts enable customers to withdraw cash, deposit cash and cheques, and make balance enquiries at a Post Office counter via its network of 11,600 branches.

For those claimants and pensioners who are unable to open a mainstream account, the DWP will implement an alternative payment service that allows users to obtain cash payments in their local area (including suburban and rural locations) before the end of the Post Office card account contract in November 2021.

All DWP letters provide a free telephone number where the customer can call to discuss their payment options further and change their method of payment over the telephone. A copy of these letters will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

As we approach the end of the Post Office card account contract, the DWP and POL will work together to issue joint guidance on Post Office card account user’s options, to transfer to other payments methods.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 06 Feb 2019
Social Security

"The Minister will be aware that Barrow and Furness has the highest number of asbestos-related cancer deaths in the whole of England and Wales. Is she aware of how many sufferers who were previously compensated under the scheme covering pleural plaques are now falling victim to terminal asbestosis and finding …..."
Lord Walney - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 06 Feb 2019
Social Security

"I want to tell the Minister and the House a little about the life of Jack Hordon, who was until recently one of my constituents. Sadly, Mr Hordon died in December last year after a life in which he had worked in Barrow shipyard and in the merchant navy on …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 16 Oct 2018
Universal Credit

"Universal credit is due to be rolled out in Barrow just three weeks before Christmas this year—the worst possible time—and there is currently no certainty that debt relief will be provided for the area. Will the Minister rethink and postpone the roll-out?..."
Lord Walney - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 05 Dec 2017
Universal Credit Project Assessment Reviews

"It is a pleasure to follow that speech, which at least had the merit of sounding less like a combative deaf cat than some Conservative Members’ speeches.

The debate has been depressing, partly because of the heart-rending stories that some colleagues have told. In Barrow and Furness, too, there has …..."
Lord Walney - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 05 Dec 2017
Universal Credit Project Assessment Reviews

"I will not, I am afraid, because we are so short of time.

The previous Labour Government were guilty of this rhetoric to an extent. I gently remind some Conservative Members, who may not have been here then, that we pursued a path of welfare reform. It was seen as …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 29 Nov 2017
State Pension Age: Women

"The hon. Lady is putting her case very well. Is this not why it is such an insult to suggest to older women that things will be fine if they go out and get an apprenticeship?..."
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